Cooking appliance with removable cooking plate by locking and unlocking device

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a cooking appliance comprising a shell ( 4 ) and a control knob ( 7 ) mobile relative to the shell ( 4 ) which comprises a heating element and bears a removable hot plate fixed on the heating element by at least one means ( 1 ) and releasable by moving said means ( 1 ). The invention is characterised in that the appliance comprises a lever ( 8 ) forming a crank-shaft assembly pivoting about a pin ( 12 ) whereby it is fixed to the shell ( 4 ); one part of the lever ( 20 ) co-operates with the knob ( 7 ) and another part ( 19 ) drives the locking means ( 1 ) when the knob is stressed and acts on the lever ( 8 ).

[0001] The present invention relates to cooking appliances havingcooking plates or “hot plates” that are made removable by securing andreleasing devices.

[0002] The technical sector of the invention is the field of “smallhousehold electrical appliances”.

[0003] The invention essentially applies to appliances of the grill,waffle-iron, or sandwich-toaster type. Such an appliance comprises twohot plates hinged together to define between them a space for receivingfood to be cooked, each hot plate being heated by a respective electricheater element in contact with the plate.

[0004] Making such hot plates removable opens up possibilities formaking multi-purpose appliances that can be transformed into sandwichtoasters, waffle irons, or grills merely by changing the hot plates. Forthat purpose, the hot plates are held stationary inside shells bysecuring means that can be moved to release said plates and tointerchange them. However, manipulating such means is impractical andinconvenient, and also involves the risk that the user might sufferburns. To mitigate that drawback, certain appliances are equipped withcatch systems making them easier to use, but such systems are generallycostly to make.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to mitigate theabove-mentioned drawbacks by making it more practical to change theplates, with as few parts as possible, making it possible to reduce themanufacturing and assembly costs, while reducing the danger of burns.

[0006] This object is achieved with a cooking appliance comprising atleast one shell, and at least one control button mounted to moverelative to the shell, the shell incorporating a heater element andcarrying a removable hot plate which is fixed to said heater element viaat least one securing means, and which is releasable by moving saidmeans. In the invention, the appliance further comprises at least onelever forming a crank-shaft assembly mounted to turn about an axis viawhich it is fixed to the shell, one portion of the lever co-operatingwith the control button and another portion driving the securing meanswhen the control button is pushed and acts on the lever. The lever has acentral body disposed along said axis, turning about said axis, andsituated between the portions co-operating with the control button atone end, and driving the securing means constituted by a catch mountedto tilt about said axis at the other end.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the lever is a metal wire bent toconstitute the portions co-operating with the control button at one end,and driving the catch at the other end, the two portions, together withthe portion of the metal wire that interconnects them and thatconstitutes the central body of the lever, forming a crank-shaftassembly.

[0008] The result is a novel cooking appliance having hot plates thatare made removable by a hot plate securing/releasing device whichachieves the above-mentioned object by means of a sub-assembly made upof only three parts which correspond to a control button, a lever or atransmission, and a securing means for each plate, each securing meansoperating by means of a locking catch.

[0009] The control button, which is of ergonomic shape, is placed on theappliance so as to be practical to use, visible, and quite a long wayaway from the hot plates so as to avoid burns. It thus makes it possibleto release the plates and to interchange them depending on the food thatis to be prepared. The resulting cooking appliance is a multi-purposeappliance that can, for example, perform the functions of grills, waffleirons, sandwich toasters, etc.

[0010] Other advantages of the present invention could be mentioned, butthe advantages mentioned are sufficient to prove the novelty and utilityof it. The following description and the accompanying drawings give anembodiment of the invention but are in no way limiting. Otherembodiments are possible within the ambit and scope of the presentinvention. In the drawings:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a section view of a cooking appliance equipped with adevice of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a shell of theappliance shown in FIG. 1, without the corresponding hot plate andwithout the accessories other than the securing/releasing device of theinvention;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a section view on the plane III-III′ of FIG. 2, showingthe device in the unlocking/releasing position; and

[0014]FIG. 4 is the same section view as the view in FIG. 3, with thedevice being in the securing/locking position.

[0015] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cooking appliance is amulti-purpose appliance of the toasted-sandwich/waffle/grill type,constituted by two shells 4 ₁, 4 ₂, each of which incorporates a heaterelement 3 ₁, 3 ₂, and also carries a removable hot plate 2 ₁, 2 ₂. Saidshells 4 are hinged together about a hinge axis 5 so that said hotplates 2 carried by said shells define a space 21 between them that issuitable for receiving any food to be cooked.

[0016] The top shell 4 ₁ can be raised to access said space 21 by actingon the handle 6 to cause said shell 4 ₁ to pivot about the hinge axis 5.Reflectors 11 ₁, 11 ₂ are disposed between the heater elements 3 ₁, 3 ₂and the inside surfaces of the shells 4 ₁, 4 ₂, so as to reflect theheat and concentrate it on the space 21.

[0017] The appliance of the invention is provided with at least onecontrol button 7 mounted to move relative to each shell 4 and with atleast one lever 8, one portion 20 of which co-operates with said button7 and another portion 19 of which drives securing means 1 for the hotplate 2 when said button is pushed to act on said lever 8.

[0018] The sub-assemblies of the devices for securing/releasing orlocking/unlocking the hot plates 2 are preferably identical in thebottom shell 4 ₂ and in the top shell 4 ₁.

[0019] Said control buttons 7 are mounted to move in translation inrecesses 16 provided in respective ones of the shells 4 and allowing thebutton to move linearly and perpendicularly firstly to the axis ofrotation 12 defined below, and secondly to the outside surface of theshell 4.

[0020] Preferably, said buttons are clipped into the front of theappliance in one of the corners situated in the vicinity of the openingin said appliance, such that, when the appliance is closed, said buttonsare no longer accessible, and such that, when the appliance is open,said buttons are disposed at some distance from the hot plates 2 thatthey make it possible to release so that the user cannot touch thecorresponding plate 2 when the user actuates one of said buttons 7.

[0021] Under each button 7, a lever 8 is mounted whose portion 20 comesinto abutment against it. Each button 7 is guided by two ribs 17 onrespective opposite sides.

[0022] The means for securing each hot plate 2 are constituted by acatch 1 that tilts about an axis 12, and said lever 8 has a central body18 disposed along said axis 12, turning about said axis, and situatedbetween the portions 20, 19 co-operating with said button 7 at one endand driving the catch 1 at the other end.

[0023] Said lever or transmission 8 is preferably a metal wire that isbent to form arms directed laterally relative to the rectilinear centralbody 18, and to constitute said portions 20, 19. Together with theportion of the metal wire that interconnects them and that constitutesthe central portion 18, said two portions 20, 19 form a crank shaftassembly, each bent portion transmitting via the central body 18 to theother portion any turning moment that it receives by means of any forceapplied to the arm that constitutes it. The longer the arm, the furtheraway from the body 18 forming the axis of rotation the point at whichthe force is applied lies, the larger the turning moment, and the easierthe turning movement.

[0024] Each transmission or lever 8 is laid and clipped in bearings 10integrated into the shell 4 via its central body 18 forming an axis ofrotation. Each catch 1 is itself clipped to the bent portion 19 of saidlever 8 which is associated with it.

[0025] As shown in the accompanying figures, said two portions 20, 19 ofeach lever 8 are the ends of said lever, but in another embodiment, theportion 19, for example, could be bent differently and the body 18 ofthe lever 8 could continue beyond said portion 19, and could be guidedto turn about its own axis, i.e. about the axis 12, by another bearingsituated on the other side of the catch 1 from the side on which theportion 20 is situated.

[0026] The appliance of the invention also includes at least one returnspring 9 for each securing means 1, the spring returning the securingmeans to the locking position in which the corresponding plate 2 islocked so long as the corresponding control button 7 is not pushed,thereby holding the sub-assembly constituting the hot platesecuring/releasing device of the invention in position and under stress.

[0027] The cooking appliance shown in the accompanying figures furtherincludes a spring 15 under the bottom hot plate 2 ₂ and on the same sideas the heater element 3 ₂, which spring raises said hot plate 2 ₂relative to the shell 4 ₂ when the securing means 1 ₂ are disengagedtherefrom.

[0028] The spring 15 may be part of a regulation system made up of aprobe 13, of a thermostat 14, and of said spring 15 which presses theprobe 13 against the hot plate 2 when said hot plate is locked.

[0029] In order to unlock each of the hot plates 2, it is necessary topress on the respective control button 7. By means of the transmissionor lever 8 which then turns about the axis 12, each catch 1 retracts bytilting about its own axis to allow the corresponding hot plate 2 topass, as shown in FIG. 3. The bottom plate 2 ₂ rises under pressure fromthe probe 13 of the thermostat, and the top plate 21 comes free underits own weight.

[0030] In order to lock said cooking plates 2 again after they have beeninterchanged and/or cleaned, the lip 22 that constitutes the rim of eachplate 2 or that may be a lug and that is situated opposite from the lip23 that comes into abutment against a respective one of the catches 1 isslid into any compatible recess in the corresponding shell 4. The lip 23of the plate 2 in question then abutting against the catch 1 causes saidcatch to retract by tilting back about the axis 12 in order to allowsaid plate to pass, as shown in FIG. 3. Once the plate 2 is in position,the catch 1, under drive from the return spring 9, returns to itsinitial position and locks the plate 2.

1/ A cooking appliance comprising at least one shell (4), and at leastone control button (7) mounted to move relative to the shell (4), theshell (4) incorporating a heater element (3) and carrying a removablehot plate (2) which is fixed to said heater element (3) via at least onesecuring means (1), and which is releasable by moving said means (1),said cooking appliance being characterized in that it further comprisesat least one lever (8) forming a crank-shaft assembly mounted to turnabout an axis (12) via which it is fixed to the shell (4), one portion(20) of the lever (8) co-operating with the control button (7) andanother portion (19) driving the securing means (1) when the controlbutton (7) is pushed and acts on the lever (8). 2/ A cooking applianceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the lever (8) has a centralbody (18) disposed along the axis (12), turning about said axis, andsituated between the portions (20, 19) co-operating with the controlbutton (7) at one end, and driving the securing means (1) constituted bya catch (1) mounted to tilt about the axis (12) at the other end. 3/ Acooking appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the lever(8) is a metal wire bent to constitute the portions (20, 19)co-operating with the control button (7) at one end, and driving thecatch (1) at the other end, the two portions, together with the portionof the metal wire that interconnects them and that constitutes thecentral body (18) of the lever, forming a crank-shaft assembly. 4/ Acooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterizedin that the control button (7) is mounted to move in translation in arecess (16) provided in the shell (4) and perpendicular to the outsidesurface of said shell. 5/ A cooking appliance according to any one ofclaims 1 to 4, characterized in that the two portions (20, 19) of thelever (8) are the ends of said lever. 6/ A cooking appliance accordingto any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it has two shells (4)hinged together about an axis (5) such that the removable hot plates (2)carried by the shells (4) define a space (21) between them that issuitable for receiving any food to be cooked. 7/ A cooking applianceaccording to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the controlbutton (7) is disposed at some distance from the hot plate (2) that itmakes it possible to release, so that the user cannot touch the platewhen said user actuates the control button (7). 8/ A cooking applianceaccording to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, under thehot plate (2) and on the same side as the heater element (3), saidappliance further comprises a spring (15) which raises the hot plate (2)relative to the shell (4) when the securing means (1) are disengagedtherefrom. 9/ A cooking appliance according to claim 8, characterized inthat it further comprises a regulation system made up of a probe (13),of a thermostat (14) and of the spring (15) which presses the probe (13)against the hot plate (2). 10/ A cooking appliance according to any oneof claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it further comprises at leastone return spring (9) for returning the securing means (1) to thelocking position in which they lock the plate (2) so long as the controlbutton is not pushed (7).